We haven’t had a decent steak since late last summer. Last week I purchased two good-sized chuck steaks, deciding it was time we had some beef. Chuck steak is a less expensive cut of meat, but if marinated properly can become as tender as a rib-eye. Our plan was to have the steaks last Friday, so on Thursday I placed each cut of meat into a sealable plastic bag after poking holes in the beef and adding copious amounts of minced garlic and teriyaki sauce. Come Friday neither my husband nor I felt like cooking (opting for a Dominos pizza instead), so the meat had an extra day to marinate.

 

Most often I broil steaks, but this time I slow-cooked the meat in my electric skillet, covered, without using oil or butter. My husband likes onions, so I added several slices. By the time we sat down to eat, the beef was so tender there was no need for a knife and the taste was marvelous, melt-in-the-mouth flavorful. I love dipping bites into Heinz 57 Sauce normally, but there was no need for it this go-around.

 

We also had mixed sliced vegetables (asparagus, squash, carrots, peas, cauliflower, green beans, mushrooms, celery and onions), and my husband’s favorite potato dish:  

Sheer Spuds

(An original from Shenanchie)

 

1 large potato

Butter to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Rinse the potato and peel the skin off. Rinse again. In a small, non-stick frying pan, place a few pats of butter to melt. Using the potato peeler, peel the potato into the frying pan over the butter. (The slices will be very thin, and it may take a few minutes to do it this way. You might have top slice the remaining bit of the potato by hand with a sharp knife). Spread the slices evenly, forming a circle in the frying pan; salt and pepper to taste and top with additional pats of butter if desired. Cook on medium heat until the edges are golden brown. Flip the potato circle over in the pan, and cook until the other side is a golden brown. Eat hot; serves one.

I made up the recipe several years ago while I was married to my second husband. At the time, we lived in Idaho and subsisted on the cheapest foods possible: eggs, potatoes, pasta, soups and salads. I grew tired of preparing potatoes the same way, so one day I started peeling and never stopped. The dish is wonderful in that the potato slices are almost sheer, and once cooked have a crispy outer layer and a soft, chewy inner layer.

 

I doubled the recipe on Saturday of course, and we had ourselves a dandy meal. We don’t eat beef that often anymore (sticking to chicken and other poultry, as well as fish and pork), so once in a great while a nice steak fits the bill.